Nov 04 2008
Review: Gamera (aka Gammera, 1965)
Toho introduced Gojira in 1954 (aka Godzilla, King of the Monsters), and it would become one of the longest-running film franchises in film history. Spanning over 50 years and nearly 30 films (in addition to comic books, an endless wealth of toys and model kits, costumes, novels and non-fiction books, and just about anything else that can carry the brand or likeness of the monster), Godzilla has been imitated, remade, and has served as the inspiration to many film makers.
Over the course of the decades, there have been major and minor imitations of Godzilla. The most prominent was Daiei Studios’ Gamera (aka Gammera: The Invincible, 1965). With eight films in its initial series and two franchise revivals (much like the Godzilla series), Gamera has been very successful despite budget limitations. Following the formula set forth by the Godzilla films, Gamera was initially a roaming natural disaster that evolved into a super-hero, battling an imaginative array of adversaries.
A giant pre-historic turtle freed from beneath polar ice by a nuclear bomb, Gamera travelled to Japan, destroying everything in his path. Flying in a saucer-like fashion, the giant turtle was able to breathe and withstand fire, and seemed indestructible. After several attempts to stop Gamera, the governments of the world devised a trap to capture the monster and send him via missile to Mars. When Gamera headed in the missile’s direction, the scientists and leaders of the world watched and waited…..
The progression of the series led to the softening of story content after the release of Gamera. The monster became more friendly to mankind while being accompanied by his own overly-upbeat theme song. The special effects used in the Gamera films appeared to be far cheaper than that of their Toho counterparts; however, the films featured more graphic violence and Gamera’s enemies met grislier demises. Use of wire puppets and unnatural eye movements in facial close-ups of the monsters created an effect that contradicted realism. Regardless of these drawbacks, the series endured, and is met with more enthusiasm with fans than ever.
After the US theatrical release of Gammera: The Invincible in 1965, the remaining films from the first series were released to American television by American International Pictures every year until 1970 (under titles War of the Monsters, Return of the Giant Monsters, Destroy All Planets, Attack of the Monsters and Gamera Vs. Monster X; some of these were edited for content and pacing), with Gamera Vs. Zigra (1971) being released by Sandy Frank to American television and video in the 1980s. Sandy Frank also released re-dubbed versions of the original Japanese movies featuring literal translations of the Japanese titles (including Gamera Vs. Barugon, Gamera Vs. Gaos and Gamera Vs. Guiron).
The Sandy Frank versions of the Gamera films were also released to television as part of the Mystery Science Theater 3000 series; yet after several years of being widely available on VHS and LaserDisc (and newly-found popularity), the Sandy Frank presentations went out-of-print, with the American International Pictures versions being released to DVD on several labels.
With over 40 years of film history, the character Gamera has remained the most prominent of Godzilla imitators and has become a popular cultural item in its own right. Films from the Gamera series can be found on budget label DVDs for a low price and is part of many science fiction boxed sets.
